Leeds

Leeds' population grew between the last two censuses. At the same time there were changes in ethnicity, housing tenure and marriage.

The population passed 750,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Leeds increased by 5.0%, from just over 715,000 to 751,000.

The addition of about 36,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Leeds was home to, on average, 9.7 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Yorkshire and The Humber, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Leeds

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Leeds decreased by one year, from 36 to 35 years.

This city had the second-lowest average age in Yorkshire and The Humber and remained somewhat younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of almost 23,000 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 5,000.

About 18% of people in Leeds are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Leeds by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Leeds

The number of people in Leeds from the White ethnic groups increased from about 660,000 in 2001 to about 640,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 92% to 85% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber (from 93% to 89%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Leeds from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 36,000 in 2001 to just over 58,000 in 2011 (from 5.0% to 7.8%). The number of residents from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from just over 10,000 to just under 26,000 (from 1.4% to 3.5%).

About 20,000 people (1.4%) said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), up from just over 9,700 in 2001 (2.6%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Leeds decreased by 6.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Leeds by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

More students

The percentage of Leeds residents that were studying increased from 3.6% to 5.3% between the last two censuses.

The proportion who said they were employed remained close to 52%, while the percentage of Leeds residents that were unemployed increased from 3.3% to 4.8%.

The proportion of students increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 2.5% in 2001 to 3.5% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 2.6% to 3.5%.

The percentage of students in Leeds increased by 1.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Leeds, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that said they were in education, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Leeds that rented privately increased from 10% to 18% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in five (22%) households lived in social housing, compared with 25% in 2001. The percentage of Leeds households that owner their home decreased from 62% to 58%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 9.1% in 2001 to 16% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Leeds increased by 7.8 percentage points

Percentage of households in Leeds, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer married people

The percentage of married people fell in Leeds at a faster rate than in nearby Bradford.

In Leeds, the proportion of married people decreased from 47% in 2001 to 42% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Bradford decreased from 52% to 48%.

Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the share of married people decreased from 52% to 47%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership in Leeds increased from 34% to 41%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner remained close to 11%.

The proportion of married people was lower than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were married across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

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